1968 Everette Bellevue
While the Everette Ellston was well engineered to compete with other budget and small family cars of the day like the Chevy II and Plymouth Valiant, it was limited in profitability and appeal to broader markets. The buying trends of mid 1960s America revolved around “bigger is better” and with the muscle car craze brought on by the Pontiac GTO, Fenton and Everette were unfit to fully compete. In late 1964 after the smashing success of the aforementioned GTO, Fenton began work on a new mid to large size platform for a line of premium / luxury sedans and muscle cars. The first of the new “S bodies” to debut was the 1968 Everette Bellevue, an upmarket family sedan coming to market in late 1967 and aimed at buyers who would otherwise go for a Pontiac Tempest or Dodge Coronet.
The Bellevue base “Executive” trim came with Fenton’s big block 5.5L (335 cid) V8 producing 213 HP, dual exhausts, rear wheel drive, 3-speed automatic gearbox, 5 seats, and a enough trunk space for a Mafia outfit. In order to appeal to more than just typical family buyers, it also came in an upgraded “Premier” trim which featured the new and larger 6.1L (370 cid) V8, 15 inch mag wheels, larger brakes, and heavy duty suspension.
The Bellevue’s sporty looks and premium interior at a fair price point gained it instant success. Drivers and critics applauded its ample but not absurd power, its leather seats and vinyl leather door panels, smooth engine, and effortless power steering. The Bellevue was also offered with optional air conditioning, AM radio or premium AM / FM radio, limited slip differential, and 4-speed manual gearbox. The “Premier” trim came with special “Premier” badged interior with additional accents and front bucket seats rather than the standard bench with fold-down center armrest.
In addition to its interior and driving options, the Bellevue also featured some of the latest in safety technology such as collapsing steering column, padded dashboard, and standard rear view, driver, and passenger side mirrors, and over-axle fuel tank.
Being part of the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Bellevue naturally participated in the “horsepower wars.” The 1969 model year brought the 6.1L (370 cid) engine as an option to the base trim and the “Premier” trim gained an even larger 6.5L (397 cid) V8 as an option. The 1972 model year brought a larger still 6.7L (407 cid) V8 as the optional engine for the “Premier”. The 1973 oil crisis brought an end to the runaway engine displacements however and also put a major damper on sales of the Bellevue. Originally slated for replacement after the 1976 model year, the diminished sales and government mandates lead to its rushed and premature replacement by an updated platform after the 1974 model year.
Right up until the trouble caused by OPEC, however, the Bellevue was a great hit as mentioned before. Its first year it sold 141,000 units and produced 187,000 on average in 1969 through 1972. After this, its sales figures slumped enormously down to 102,000 in 1973 and just 61,000 in 1974.
Although the 2-door Everette Special is more desirable, the Bellevue is now a collectible, particularly 1969, 70, 71 Premier makes with the optional 6.5L (397 cid) V8 since these were the only three years in which this variant of the Fenton big block V8 was ever produced. They are popularly converted to pro-touring classics, sleepers, and gasser drag cars or simply restored to factory-original condition. As with its competitors, it is now part of the legend of 1960s American muscle.
Specifications:
- Wheelbase: 2.87 m (113 in)
- Length: 5.0 m (196.9 in)
- Body style: 4 door sedan
- Seats: Executive; 6, Premier; 5
- Transmission: 3-speed automatic, 4-speed manual
- Engines: 5.5L V8 (8VB-E335), 6.1L V8 (8VB-E70), 6.5L V8 (8VB-E397), 6.7L V8 (8VB-E407)
- Layout: longitudinal front engine, rear wheel drive
- 0-60 mph time: 8.1 s ('72 Premier with 407 V8 and manual gearbox)
- Quarter Mile: 16.02 s ('72 Premier with 407 V8 and manual gearbox)
- Fuel Economy: nope.
- Okay actually though: ~24 L/100km (9.5ish US mpg)
Engines
8VB-E335
Executive: 1968 - 1974 (end production)
- All cast iron, forged internals
- Cam in block OHV; 2 valves per cylinder
- 99 mm (3.898 in) bore X 89.3 mm (3.516 in) stroke - 5497 cc - 335.4 cubic inches
- 9.0:1 compression
- 4 barrel carburetor
- 158.8 kW (213 hp) @ 3900 RPM
- 418 Nm (309 lb-ft) @ 2500 RPM
- 4300 RPM max
8VB-E370
Executive option: 1969 - 1974 (end production)
Premier: 1968 - 1974 (end production)
- All cast iron, forged internals
- Cam in block OHV; 2 valves per cylinder
- 99 mm (3.898 in) bore X 98.5 mm (3.878 in) stroke - 6063 cc - 370 cubic inches
- 9.0:1 compression
- 4 barrel carburetor
- 182.4 kW (245 hp) @ 4000 RPM
- 466.5 Nm (344 lb-ft) @ 2700 RPM
- 4500 RPM max
8VB-E397
Premier (option): 1969 - 1971
- All cast iron, forged internals
- Cam in block OHV; 2 valves per cylinder
- 102.5 mm (4.035 in) bore X 98.5 mm (3.878 in) stroke - 6502 cc - 396.8 cubic inches
- 9.0:1 compression
- 4 barrel carburetor
- 196.1 kW (263 hp) @ 4000 RPM
- 502.4 Nm (371 lb-ft) @ 2700 RPM
- 4500 RPM max
8VB-E407
Premier (option): 1972 - 1974 (end production)
- All cast iron, forged internals
- Cam in block OHV; 2 valves per cylinder
- 102.5 mm (4.035 in) bore X 101 mm (3.976 in) stroke - 6667 cc - 406.8 cubic inches
- 9.0:1 compression
- 4 barrel carburetor
- 204.2 kW (274 hp) @ 4100 RPM
- 520 Nm (384 lb-ft) @ 3100 RPM
- 4500 RPM max